This is the most “I need an SUV, but for stupid reasons don’t want an SUV” question. If you open up to an SUV, this is arguably the best class of SUVs to consider: the mid-sized SUV. Your endless options include:

The easiest answer is a Subaru Outback. An SUV without “technically” be an SUV. 

When I was a kid in the late 80s and early 90s, we had ideas for what “cars of the future” looks like, and this is it (remember the cartoon C.O.P.S.?). Late 90s and early 00s had some of the worst vehicle designs ever, so it’s finally now in the 2020s that cars actually look “futuristic”.

The last time I was in a motor vehicle to NYC, I took the Megabus. It was a 6 am departure from Arlington (right outside of DC), and with a few stops and a quick rest area stop, we were in midtown at ~11:30 a.m., so about 5.5 hrs. With a personal vehicle, 4 hrs is probably doable if the conditions are nominal, but the…

Agreed. I’m one of few that actually enjoys being at the airport. However, even with PreCheck, I tend to be one of those that get to the airport way early (~2 hrs before flight time) because I’d rather wait at the gate than be stressed getting there. Therefore, it only makes sense for me to fly if the distance is long…

For trips below 100 miles, the car is easily the way to go. For trips over 300 miles, flying is generally the best option. In-between is the sweet spot for train service, particularly if there is frequent service, like the East coast corridor.

Driving in DC is 214% better than NYC. It’s not even close.

You have to leave at 2 a.m. from DC to get to NYC in 4 hrs. Have fun in I-95 traffic, and waiting in the traffic to get into Manhattan.

This was my exact scenario last year... I was looking at new/used sport “hatches” in the $35k to $45k range. My list boiled down to the A5, 4-series, Stinger, and Arteon. However, the used prices for the A5 and 4-series went up significantly, so I crossed them out. The Stinger was in the discussion, but I felt like…

My wife and I are in our early 40s and go camping with a couple with similar age as us. They’re actually thinking about getting a small camper. If they get one and we do a RV/camper trip, I would probably rent one for the weekend.

You’re right that a full RV has better value. But if you live in a suburban area, it could be difficult to park and handle. Also, something like this can be a multi-purpose vehicle (depending on how you configure it) and be useful hauling stuff as well as a camping rig.

I think the real demo for this is the 50 - 60 near-retirement crowd. They don’t want a full RV, but a smaller vehicle that can be parked in their driveways or neighborhood. As WFH becomes the norm, a couple would just need one vehicle for regular commuting and around town stuff, and this would be the second vehicle…

Yeah, I don’t think gas stations will disappear anytime soon. I think it will be at least 30 yrs before there are more charging stations than gas stations. With that said, I think my next vehicle purchase (in ~6 years) will be an all-electric or at worst a plug-in hybrid.

As expensive as they are, Porsche consistently nails car colors. The blues, greens, and bright tones are perfect!

I’m biased because I have two of them, but an Acura MDX Hybrid should be in the mix:

The Stinger was on my short list of new vehicle purchases, along with the BMW 4-series and Audi A5. Ended up getting an Acura TLX.

I think government can fund colleges based on a quota system. For example, if there is a need for healthcare workers (like right now), the government can provide more grants for people to study in that field. If you got your nursing degree in 5 years, then the tradeoff is that the schooling would be free if you worked…

Not really sure that’s true. While I’m a proponent of giving students a well-rounded education, there are hard skills that you need in the STEM fields to get the job. Yes, much of what they need to learn will be OTJ training, but you need a basic foundation, which a good undergrad degree will provide. I’ve mentored…

I think the biggest con the college industry has sold is that you go to college to “pursue your dreams.” Pursuing one’s dream is only for rich kids that have parents to rely, or most likely, fall back on.

I can understand the SUV, as it’s primarily used to haul largish family (5+ people) and lots of stuff. The full size truck, however, has gotten ridiculous, especially the tailgate height that goes to the shoulders. Good luck lifting anything heavy into those behemoths.